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Ham and Bean Soup

Source of Recipe


From "Cooking" by James Peterson



List of Ingredients



• 2 cups dried beans, soaked for 4 hours in cold water to cover
  
• 3 quarts broth or water, or more as needed
  
• 1 bouquet garni (including herbs such as rosemary, thyme and parsley)
  
• 1 ham bone or 2 ham hocks
  
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
  
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 cup dry sherry
  
• .
  
• Hot pepper sauce
  
• Sour cream (optional)
  






Instructions



1. Drain the soaked beans and put them in a pot with the broth, bouquet garni, ham bone or hocks, salt, onion and garlic and simmer, covered, until the beans are soft -- about 2 hours. Add the sherry as soon as the beans begin to soften. Keep adding liquid as needed to keep the beans covered.
   
   
2. Take the ham bone or hocks out of the soup, allow to cool a bit, and pull the ham away from the bone. Chop or shred it into bite-sized pieces and put it back in the soup. If you used ham hocks, pull the rind away from the hocks and discard the rind. Pull the meat away and add it to the soup.
   
   
3. If you like, purée the soup for a few seconds with an immersion blender to give it a little richer consistency. But be sure to keep it identifiably lumpy. Ladle the soup into serving bowls.
   Pass the hot pepper sauce and sour cream at the table.
   
   Makes about 2 quarts
   (freezes well)